


Ship in a Bottle

by midge1



Category: Cartoon Therapy (Web Series), Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Are Twins, Dadceit, Deceit | Janus Sanders Angst, How Do I Tag, M/M, Morally Neutral Deceit | Janus Sanders, Parental Deceit | Janus Sanders, Pining, Pining Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Pining Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Pirates, aaaaa, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27920425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midge1/pseuds/midge1
Summary: Pirate Captain Janus has to deal with the antics of teenage chaos makers Remus and Virgil with his first mate Emile while missing the way things used to be as his ghosts come back to haunt him- (basically Dadceit with everyone pining especially him) (*angst*)
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Sleep | Remy Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders & Logic | Logan Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	Ship in a Bottle

Janus sat at his heavy oaken desk, writing frantically. The ship rocked in the heavy waves and the candlelit lantern flickered. The scratchy quill in his hand ran out of ink once again and he hurried to dip it back into the inkpot. He cursed as he knocked it over onto his parchment. It spilled all over what he had already written.

His head thumped onto the desk. That had been his fifth attempt at the letter, and at this rate he was never going to get it done. It was hard enough to swallow his pride enough to ask for help. The wind howled outside and the ship bounced on another heavy wave. It would have been a good idea to find a safe harbor tonight, but those were getting rare these days.

Many countries had started cracking down on pirating ships in their waters. Why now, he had no idea. But Janus’ crew was far from the worst of them. Sure they weren’t angels, but they didn’t go pillaging villages for no good reason. The angels were Patton’s crew. It would be pretty ironic if they were the ones caught. They were some of the only good left in the world.

He swept out of quarters, heavy cloak billowing behind him. His cutlass hung at his hip. The sword was a constant reminder of the dangers that lurked around every corner. The knives he had on his person and the dagger under his pillow were as well. And every time he looked in the mirror the scar down the left side of his face would never let him forget about his mistakes.

He eyed the stairs to the main deck as he strode past. A good portion of his crew was trying to keep them afloat up there. Not everyone, as that would only make everyone trip over eachother in their panic. For now everyone was doing their jobs as assigned and the next shift change would switch them out.

The heavy scowl set on his face softened into a smile as he peered into the crew quarters. His eyes immediately sought out Remus and Virgil, the two rambunctious teenagers he had taken under his wing when they were younger. It had been many years since he found the three little boys adrift at sea. He never could have guessed the amount of joy they brought to his life.

Alas, Remus’ brother Roman went to be raised with Patton’s crew. The boy made the choice on his own but every day Janus could see the sorrow Remus had for his missing twin. He never let the others of the crew see his weakness, and for that Janus was secretly glad. He couldn’t protect him forever no matter how much he wanted to.

That didn’t mean the two boys didn’t make his job as captain the most frustrating one in the world. Remus would come up with the most outlandish of ideas, and Virgil would smirk and triple the chaos. With everything from pranks on his first mate, Emile, to sword fights on the mess table, they were never ones to stay still for long.

If they got the chance they would be climbing the rigging during the storm right that moment. He had made sure they wouldn’t be able to, moving them out of the officer cabin they shared for the night. The hammock they slept in together was at the center of all in the crew quarters and surrounded by sleeping pirates. They hopefully wouldn’t be stealthy enough to get through that. But knowing Virgil, he would find a way if he really wanted to.

The smile faded from his face as the problems he had to deal with sat heavily in his mind. He spun on his heel and strode over to the stairs that lead to the main deck. The whole point of this walk was supposed to clear his head, not befuddle it with nostalgia. He had no time for such foolish endeavors.

The whipping wind felt like a slap acrost his face. The salt stung his eyes and the cold seeped into his bones. He squinted at the dark shapes moving about. The crew seemed to be handling everything fine. He pulled his overcoat tighter around his shoulders and quickly made his way up to the poop deck.

“Ahoy Cap’n, nice day for a beach excursion, don‘cha think?” His first mate Emile greeted him with a smile. The edges of his mouth twitched but he refused to give his old friend the satisfaction of seeing him smile at his classic jokes.

“Not really ‘mile, might be a spot too bright. Maybe some clouds might swing by later?” The cheerful man beamed at him, a beacon in the dreary atmosphere. Emile always knew how to encourage that bit of joy in everyone. Always what to say to lift your mood that little bit.

“Sailin’s been pretty smooth, you should be sleepin, Jay.” Emile furrowed his eyebrows in playful anger. The deck rocked heavily between them as Janus considered his response.

“You know I don’ touch my bed til all the work’s done, and it’s far from finished. An’ storms aren’t exactly the most relaxing things.” He shrugged his shoulders and turned away. He squinted at the dark clouds above as his dark hair whipped about. The rain pelted his face but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Ah, the letters.” Emile nodded from behind him. “You figure out how to apologize to Patton yet?” Janus turned his head to scowl at him.

“I was referring to the other ones, not ‘bout him. That matter is none ya business, Emile, and you know it.” Emile sighed and turned back to survey the crew. “The ones I was referring to are difficult ‘cause it’s getting hard to focus an’ string together words. Nothing to do with him.”

“Whatever you say, Cap’n.” His voice sounded a bit exasperated. “Whatever denials you want.” Janus rolled his eyes and bumped the other’s shoulder with his own.

“G’night ‘mile, make sure to keep us from bein’ fish food alright?” He got a tired smile before he turned and made his way back down to the main deck.

He hesitated just before going back down below. The pitching of the ship, the wind whipping his hair, the cold slowly seeping into his bones. This was the authentic experience. Something he had never signed up for. He was left in the dark to ponder his mistakes. He used to deny it all. But now they were coming back to haunt him. And there was no running from ghosts.

He was back in his quarters again, the lanternlight flickering. The quill in his hand, the dark inkpot. The letters of business had been finished hours ago. He had completed them in a fit of panic, desperate to distract himself from what was to come. But now the threats were written, bails paid, vengeance set on the unlucky few. The busywork had been taken care of. Now to the hard part.

Years ago, he and Patton had a bit of a ‘falling out.’ It was a dissonance in their methods of doing things, a difference in their problem solving solutions. It was complicated and messy and Janus never stopped blaming himself for the entire thing. Every time he saw Remus’ pained look, and that one time he walked in on Virgil with tears running down his face, a red kerchief clutched in his hand. His own sobs were ragged that day. And Emile, oh Emile. His brother Logan and him were stuck in the middle of the feud. They were forced to pick sides. They hadn’t seen eachother in years.

Janus wanted to hit something. Here he was drowning in self-pity when he could just write a stupid letter and end the whole thing. But there was something in him holding him back and he had no idea what.

Pride? That had been there for years. But there had always been something else. For Patton, and also for Logan. An inextricable longing. It would never let him forget. And that scared him. It scared him enough to isolate them for years, pillaging places of evil and having just enough money to get by.

But things were changing. Old enemies were emerging from the shadows. Rumors of Navys patrolling the seas for ships. Safe harbors turning hostile. Word of mouth traveled quickly. His best eyes and ears had finally caught word of Patton and his crew and this was probably his last chance to ever fix his mistakes.

He screwed his eyes shut and clenched his fists then hammered them onto the desk in frustration. He called himself every name in the book, and a couple more that were from out of it. He refused to waste his last chance of ever contacting them again.

He pulled the parchment towards himself once more and dipped the quill in ink. It hovered over the page for an instant before it started to pour out the words from his heart. It was the clean shining truth, every word of it.

He talked of Remus and Virgil and Emile, of how they were doing. Of their triumphs and defeats. Of the crew, and of the ship that they once shared. But most importantly, he talked of them. How empty it was without them. The sorrow they all felt. And the hole they left in Janus’ heart. The hole he had never been able to fill. The hole only they could fill.

He apologized over and over for all his mistakes and how much a twat he had been, and still was after all those years. He pleaded for their forgiveness but understood it wasn’t deserved. He wished for them to finally reunite after they separated all those years ago. He pledged his sword and heart in any battle they required.

After all the years went by, they probably wouldn’t care. They could laugh and burn the words from his soul with a decorative candle and he wouldn’t blame them in the slightest.

But he could only hope they would read and understand. Hope that Roman still cared for Remus after years of separation. Hope Remy, Logan’s son, would know his uncle’s name. Hope that Patton and Logan would forgive him for everything he had done. Everything he had done that ended up tearing their family apart.

He could only hope.

**Author's Note:**

> so um,,,i did a thing? worked on it for four days, almost two thousand words and originally started off as a oneshot but now maybe a universe? this is the first chapter ig but let me know it you want more :pp


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